Anti-government protesters have vacated the city hall of Mariupol in southeast Ukraine following a night of clashes over checkpoints with Kiev's troops.

The city hall was taken Wednesday morning by pro-government
forces, local media reported. The barricades were being
dismantled by workers, as a crowd of some 50 people gathered
nearby shouting “traitors” at them, 0609 news website reported.

People living near the city hall said they didn't hear any
gunshots, indicating that the change of control did not involve
any gunfight, but sporadic shooting was heard in Mariupol
overnight.

“It looks like the assault has started,” Mikhail Krutko
from the self-defense headquarters told Interfax news agency,
adding that there is no information about injuries or victims.
"We have just now started getting messages about a massive
attack on our checkpoints, located in the western part of the
city.”

A local activist named Dmitry has confirmed to RT that
“intensive shooting can be heard.”

“We have three of our people killed, there was an attack on
one of our roadblocks," an activist in Mariupol told RT.
"We are expecting that Administrative offices could be
stormed soon. We have information that Right Sector radicals have
arrived in the city and they are now getting dressed into police
uniforms to blend in.”

As RT has been told by a local source, there has also been a
shooting near Mariupol airport.

“People in black and camouflage have shot at several
vehicles,” the source said, adding that there was no
information about injuries at the moment.

According to RIA Novosti citing its source from Donetsk,
“unknown men attacked several checkpoints”.

“There was shooting in the area close to a military base near
the airport,” the source said. It also added that the
shooting has calmed down for now and only single shots can be
heard.

The source said that “the assault” did not look like
“active actions by the regular army” because the men
were wearing uniforms without matching camouflage print.

This video below that was shot at 20:29 local time as the voice
says it shows streets surrounding Mariupol’s city council. The
man says the fire is burning tires.

On May 3, Ukrainian troops briefly moved into the city late at
night surrounding an administrative building held by
anti-government protesters. Offices of Privatbank were set ablaze
and burnt to ashes.

Meanwhile, the military operation is currently continuing in a
number of cities and towns in the Donetsk region with less than
20 days left till the Kiev-set May, 25 presidential elections.

Acting Ukrainian President Aleksandr Turchinov has signed a law
starting partial mobilization in the country. Earlier on Tuesday,
the Ukrainian parliament supported the extension of the
mobilization and approved a plan to strengthen Ukraine's defense
capability and security.

"A very important decision has been made today - to extend
the mobilization campaign. Those who were earlier mobilized and
served 45 days, will be demobilized, and replaced by other
patriots," leader of the Svoboda parliamentary faction,
presidential candidate Oleg Tyagnibok said as cited by Kiev Post.

The Ukrainian army has been conducting a new stage of the
military operation against autonomy supporters in the country’s
south-east starting May, 2. On May 5 several checkpoints came
under attack around the city of Slavyansk. Casualties were
reported on both sides. On May 6, anti-government protesters
seized yet another administrative building in the Donetsk region.